Hostility Wars
by librastar
Summary: Nami gasped. "Like hell I'd go out with a creepy bastard like you!" He raised his eyebrows. "Even if I'm paying?" From Sabaody all the way to Dressrosa, it would have been an understatement to say that their relationship was anything but love at first fight. LawNa.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** As always, I can't claim credit for the wonderful world of One Piece because all characters, places and references are the copyright of the genius Eichiiro Oda, and everything else is simply a figment and work of my imagination.

 **A/N:** Written because I've been reading too many fics by those great senseis of LawNa, Kagehime3 and Eileithyia-ya. Possible spoilers in later chapters if you're not up to date with the manga.

 **Hostility Wars**

 **Chapter 1**

The interior of the auction house was dark and stank reminiscently of the weekly market back at Cocoyashi Village, the fishy smell assaulting her nostrils as soon as she pushed open the massive doors.

"This place is packed, Nami-san," Sanji muttered, his baritone voice faintly tickling her ear as he placed a protective hand on her shoulder. "Any sign of Keimi-chan?"

Scanning the crowd of Sabaody locals and the neckcuffed prisoners currently on stage, the flame-haired Navigator shook her head. "Not yet. She must still be backstage." Her eyes suddenly landed on the head-globes and white spacesuits worn by the front row of spectators. "Tenryūbito," she hissed in anger. "What are they doing here?"

Sanji's gaze followed hers, stiffening as he too noticed the pompous, white-clad figures of the Roswald family seated close to the stage. "Why don't you take a seat, Nami-san? I'll stand behind and keep watch. It might be some time yet before it's Keimi-chan's turn," the cook replied, ushering her towards one of the back rows.

She slid into an empty seat, her eyes fixed on the stage where the auctioneer was currently expounding the merits of a shivering black-bearded pirate. His face so deathly pale it was almost translucent while his dark eyes had a wild glitter about them, almost as if you could see the pirate's utter desperation and despair reflected within.

"Take a good look at him folks! A pirate captain with a bounty of 17 million beli, Lacuba!"

Nami let out a small gasp. Even a pirate captain with a bounty higher than hers had been captured and sold like a common fish at this cruel excuse of a market?

"This is a man well-known for his delicate acupuncture and his well-built body – he would make an excellent labourer or a sandbag!"

The crowd burst into appreciative laughter, and Nami felt her fists ball in growing rage as the pirate bowed his head, silent tears rolling down his cheeks. "I can't believe the Tenryūbito not only sit back and allow this to happen, but they actually openly endorse and participate in these deplorable practices!"

"It's just one of their many ideas of entertainment. But really, did you expect anything more from a bunch of idiots dressed up in walking fishbowls?"

She turned her head in shock at the voice. "AHHHH, a bear!"

The young man just smirked lazily at her. "Bepo does bite pretty hard, yes." He waved a tattooed hand at the massive white bear standing just behind him. "Maybe you should stay further away from him."

To her surprise, the bear he had referred to as Bepo drooped his head almost comically. "Sorry." He had a surprisingly deep voice. Nami caught a glimpse of sharp claws as the bear tightened his grip over the long, slim sword he was carrying, which presumably belonged to his owner.

"Now then…"

Nami harrumphed as the man's grin stretched a little wider, before turning her attention back to the stage. The bright yellow of his long-sleeved jersey seemed oddly out of place in such a sobering environment, and Nami decided then and there that his spotted jeans were one of the most criminal fashion offences she had ever seen. The shackled pirate captain seemed to be swaying from side to side…

A loud scream came from the front of the room as he suddenly collapsed on the stage, a loud 'thump' echoing around the cavernous room.

"What happened?" she demanded, jumping up from her seat as the crowd erupted into shocked whispers. A small pool of blood was slowly gathering around the still form of the fallen pirate, as the panicked auctioneer signalled to the stagehands to pull the curtains around the stage.

"He bit his tongue."

Nami turned to her neighbour again. Oddly enough, he seemed completely unperturbed, even mildly amused at the disturbing scene they had just witnessed. Casually inspecting the words 'DEATH' tattooed across his left knuckles, he continued, "He must have decided he didn't want to live his life as a slave, that it would be better to just die right now." His voice darkened. "I suppose it was a logical choice."

Fear flashed across her mind again as her thoughts turned back to Keimi and how frightened the young mermaid must be, all alone at the back of the stage with nothing but the wild gasps and shouts of the crowd echoing around her. "Just hang in there, Keimi!" she thought, fiercely gripping the number flag they had been given. "We're going to save you – luckily we have the treasure from Thriller Bark..."

"You."

She looked up in irritation. "What is it?"

The young man stretched languidly. "You're a member of the Strawhat Pirates aren't you," he yawned casually, but Nami didn't miss the glint of interest in his cool, slate-grey eyes.

"So what?" The Navigator replied equally flippantly, turning back to face the front as the curtains were slowly raised above the stage again. "Plenty of pirates crawling around this part of the Grand Line, I've heard."

He chuckled. "Pleased to meet your acquaintance, Cat-Thief Nami."

A stab of irritation coursed through her, tempered by a hint of worry. This man obviously knew her crew and identity from her Wanted Poster, but he didn't seem like a Marine. "And you are?"

"Trafalgar Law, Captain of the Heart Pirates. And this is Bepo, my navigator." He gestured to the orange-suited polar bear again.

Nami couldn't decide between ignoring him or shaking his outstretched hand, so she settled for a curt nod.

"Tell me, is that recklessly headstrong captain of yours around the auction house too?"

She whirled around in anger. "Watch that mouth of yours. If Luffy hears that, he'd be more than willing to kick your ass!"

Law chuckled again. Her heated reaction didn't seem to faze him at all, on the contrary he seemed rather amused by the whole thing. "Maybe after this charade is over you'd like to go out with me for a drink?"

Nami gasped. "Like hell I'd go out with a creepy bastard like you!"

He raised his eyebrows. "Even if I'm paying?" His smirk grew wider.

She was just about to bite back a retort as the stage lights suddenly flashed a dazzling pink, yellow and green. "And now for the main attraction…."

….

He had to hand it to them; the Straw Hat Pirates were as crazy as the rumours had said. No, actually they were even crazier in real life than any of their exploits reported in the newspaper had suggested.

Their Captain, the idiotic Monkey D. Luffy had had the bravery (no, idiocy) to attack that fat idiot, Saint Charloss and send the entire room into a panicked frenzy. As a price for that satisfaction, the Marines were sending along an Admiral and a warship to join the party that was soon to follow.

"Thunderbolt Tempo!"

Law watched in fascination as a small gathering of thunderclouds appeared rapidly, followed by several hundred volts of lightning as the auction house guards were haplessly sizzled to a crisp. With a bounty of only 16 million and her epithet, he had half expected her to be nothing more than a pretty face but it seemed like everyone on Mugiwara-ya's crew had some semblance of fighting ability. "This might get pretty interesting," he murmured to Penguin, his eyes never leaving the Navigator's lithe form as she ducked and twisted her blue weapon expertly. "Looks like those incidents at Enies Lobby and Alabasta weren't down to just dumb luck after all."

A loud crash suddenly interrupted his thoughts as the wall in front of the stage exploded to reveal a large, hollow hole in the middle. "What the…! he cursed, as bits of dust and ashes swirled around the room from the force of the explosion. Bepo covered his eyes, whimpering slightly as he held on to Kikoku.

The sound of footsteps echoed menacingly in the assuming silence, growing louder and louder as a tall, long-figured strode forcefully towards the front of the platform. "Oho! Looks like I've drawn some unwanted attention here!"

Law felt a slight confusion temper his initial surprise. Nonetheless, he watched silently as the old man surveyed the scene before him before turning to the Straw Hats. "Were you the ones who saved her?"

Luffy nodded in shock.

Grinning wildly, the silver-haired man nodded at them and Law felt a sudden gust of force rush through the entire room. His eyes grew wide, as every guard in the room suddenly collapsed into a crumpled heap onto the floor. "No way…"

The old pirate grinned at Law and his crew as he made his way up the carpeted steps. "Sorry about that. You guys are just here to watch right? Although judging from how you handled that situation just now, you aren't exactly pushovers."

A loud snort sounded from behind, as Eustass Kid grinned manically up at their elderly saviour. "Who would have thought we would have run into such a big shot around here? No mistake about it – that's the pirate Dark King Silvers Rayleigh."

"The legendary first mate of the Pirate King himself, Gol. D. Roger?" Shachi whispered fearfully. Law narrowed his eyes. "And still as powerful as ever, judging from that blast of Haoshoku Haki he just released," the Surgeon of Death replied slowly. He fingered Kikoku's hilt thoughtfully.

Rayleigh inspected the Fishman that had been shot, before turning solemnly to the pirates. "I can't use that power again, so I'll be depending on you guys. It would be troublesome if the Marines found out about me," he grinned.

Kid let out a harsh bark of laughter. "I have no intention of being saved by an old man anyway." Waving his hand flippantly at the rest of the room, he walked off towards the entrance. "And as a favour, I'll save you guys as well."

Annoyance boiled up in Law at that bastard Kid's arrogant reply. "Just wait a second…" he snorted, grabbing Kikoku from Bepo. Evidently, Mugiwara-ya had taken similar offence at their fellow Supernova's words as the two pirates marched quickly after Kid's retreating back. Regretting slightly that he hadn't been able to take a last look at the Straw Hats Navigator, Law turned his attention towards the task at hand: having some fun with those pathetic excuses for Marines.

"Room."

…

 **A/N** : If you're thinking of pointing out that it was Sanji that actually said most of Law's speaking parts in the first half of the story, rest assured that I'm well aware of the fact. As always, reviews and constructive criticism are much appreciated.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N:** Many thanks to all you lovely readers – especiallyxFallenDemonx, sarge1130, apple21, Keke xp, Mrs. ToraLaw, Son of Whitebeard, endingsarenotalwaysbad and Kagehime3 for the wonderful reviews as well to those of you who favourite/alerted. This chapter is dedicated to endingsarenotalwaysbad for always being supportive of my writing and providing the most insightful review of the round. As always, enjoy : )

 **Hostility Wars**

 **Chapter 2**

 _Interlu_ _de_

"You would do well to go to bed soon, young lady. We have an early start tomorrow morning if we want to catch that Morning Glory Cloud."

Long after Haredas had extinguished the lights, leaving the entire cottage shrouded in darkness; Nami continued gripping the newspaper clipping in front of her. The lone flame of her candle cast flickering shadows over the black and white picture she had been mindlessly staring at since the News Coo had delivered it to her this morning.

3D **2Y** _._

* * *

"HUH? We're not going to go there yet?"

"Hurry up, let's go to the New World already!"

"How much longer are we going to hang around here?"

"What are we waiting for, Captain?!"

Trafalgar Law gave a relaxed smirk at the predictably shocked protests and wails coming from his crew. Stretching languidly against Bepo's luxuriously furry back, the Heart Pirates Captain watched in amusement at the disappointment etched on every man's face following his announcement that they would be remaining in Paradise for at least another six months. In the days after the earth-shattering events at Marineford two weeks earlier, the only credible news filtering through amid the propaganda being spewed by the Marines and World Government was that pirates from all corners of the Four Seas were taking up arms and hoisting their sails for the New World. The latest rumours that Blackbeard had already sunk twenty ships belonging to some New World hotshot captain's fleet had his men understandably eager to pit their skills in the most dangerous sea in the world.

"Don't worry," he chuckled, slowly propping his hands behind his head while Bepo continued snoring serenely in the background. "The One Piece isn't going anywhere."

"But there's no time to lose," Shachi burst out, the ginger-haired pirate wringing his hands in animated frustration at Law's apparent apathy. "We'll be beaten by everyone else!"

"It's better for us if they destroy one another," Law cut in calmly. Shifting slightly to angle himself more comfortably against Bepo, he caught a glimpse of Penguin's stoic expression. His First Mate had remained surprisingly silent throughout the entire confrontation; he had spent enough time with Law to trust wholeheartedly that his Captain always had a reason behind every move. Smirking again, he patted Kikoku. "We won't get involved in their petty fights." A determined glint entered his eyes. "Now stop griping and follow what I say – we'll get what we want at any cost!"

"Senchou!" The Heart Pirates burst out into excited cheers, all sulks and frowns forgotten at their Captain's reassurance. "We will follow you forever!" Shachi added eagerly, anxious to make up for his momentary lapse in faith.

"Aye-aye Captain! You can count on me…" Law's smirk widened as he sensed the sleeping polar bear behind him stir slightly before blowing another nose bubble and sinking back into the depths of slumber.

"Sleep talking?!"

Even in the middle of a dream, Bepo mumbled his usual apology. " _Sumimasen_ …"

"DON'T APOLOGISE FOR SLEEP TALKING!"

 _Tch._ Law grinned to himself. _What a bunch of idiots._ But thankfully, they were his loyal idiots and he wouldn't have traded them for anything…well maybe except for Doflamingo's head.

Looking up into the clear azure sky, he felt a renewed sense of exhilaration course through him. Only six more months in Paradise. Then, finally, he could unleash his havoc upon the New World.

* * *

 _2 years later_

"Oi everyone! Dinner time!"

"Finally!" Luffy's beam stretched from ear to ear as he eagerly jumped off his usual perch atop the Sunny's golden lion figurehead. "I can't wait to taste that deep sea fish we just caught, I bet it will taste even more delicious than any other fish we've had!" He ran eagerly to the dining room, followed closely by a grinning Zoro.

Despite his captain's enthusiasm, Usopp looked unconvinced; his brow comically furrowed in his typically panicked expression. "But Luffy! We still don't know if it's safe to eat. What if it's poisonous? I don't want to die before we reach the New World…"

" _Shishishi_ don't worry Usopp, I am sure we won't die today…" The Straw Hats sniper gulped and eyed his plate with evident hesitation.

"For you, my love – an extra big serving."

For the first time in a long while, in two years to be exact, Nami felt her nostrils dilate and stomach growl at the sinfully delicious smell of grilled fish Sanji had placed in front of her; all crispy golden brown skin and drizzled with a tangy lime sauce. "Looks delicious Sanji-kun!" She flashed him a brilliant smile and dug in – the delicious interplay between the freshness of the soft white flesh amalgamated with the tasty seasoning overwhelming her palette with the richness of its flavours. "Amazing!"

"AAAHHH!" The blonde cook clutched his heart dramatically before waltzing around the room in unbridled ecstasy. "Anything for you, Nami- _swaaaaaan_!"

The dark-haired archaeologist sitting across the table flashed Nami an amused smile as Sanji served her a similarly enormous portion of the fish. "It looks wonderful, Cook-san."

"Oi Sanji! Seconds!" Predictably, Luffy had already wolfed down his share in mere seconds and frantically signalled to the chef for more.

Zoro grunted as he took a swig of sake. "Same here, ero-cook."

"Get your own second helpings, you shitty bastards," Sanji growled, knocking their heads together before grabbing their plates and heading back to the kitchen. "At the rate you shitty idiots are eating, there won't be any left for my darlings Nami-swan and Robin-chwan to have any seconds…"

Nami relaxed, letting the familiar noise and chaos wash over her as Luffy, Usopp and Chopper fought over who got to play with the leftover fish eyeballs and Sanji and Zoro got into a petty argument over who had played the bigger part in helping to catch tonight's main course. It seemed that with each passing moment and every word being spoken, she was reminded exactly how much she had missed every one of them during their two-year separation. From the exaggerated cries of "Marimo/Ero-cook!" to Luffy's delighted _shishishi_ of laughter, Franky's _super_ pose and even Brook's skull jokes, Nami stifled the feelings of gratitude and love for her crewmates that suddenly threatened to overwhelm her. She took a sip of her orange juice. "Who's on guard duty tonight?"

The high-pitched wailing of the Den Den Mushi sitting on the kitchen sideboard suddenly pierced the air, bringing an abrupt halt to the lively chatter that had filled the room.

"Hey, what's this?" Luffy demanded, the straw-hatted boy gesturing to the violently sobbing snail. "The Den Den Mushi is crying!" Poking it somewhat violently, he looked puzzled. "Hey, what's wrong? You have a stomach ache?"

Sanji snorted at their Captain's typical lack of general knowledge. "Baka. That's an emergency signal – someone is calling for help."

As Luffy made to pick up the receiver, Robin gestured at him to stop. "Wait. It could be a trap by the Marines – it is one they often use. If the line is tapped, they will find out where we are."

Upon hearing mention of the Marines, Usopp shivered violently. "Hey Luffy, you have to be caref…"

Unsurprisingly, Luffy was already barking excitedly into the Den Den Mushi's receiver. "Hello? My name is Monkey D. Luffy and I'm going to become the King of the Pirates!" The orange-haired Navigator rolled her eyes. Even to a ghost caller in the middle of nowhere, her excitable Captain never failed to make known his name and lifelong ambition.

The black-haired sniper snatched the receiver from him in a panic. "You picked up too fast and you said too much!"

" _HELP ME!"  
_

Everyone in the room froze.

" _My colleagues are getting cut one after another! The samurai are going to kill us!"_

Nami noticed Brook and Zoro exchange a meaningful look.

 _Samurai_? The navigator frowned. As far as she knew, the only Samurai in this world came from the Wano Kingdom, a small country tucked away somewhere in the Grand Line. Famed for the skill and strength of their swordsmen, the tiny country was fiercely independent and had doggedly refused to bow to or be affiliated in any way with the World Government. It was a testament to the esteem in which the World Government held their military strength that they had allowed the Wano territory to remain unconquered up to now.

Luffy grabbed the receiver back from Usopp. "Hey you! What's your name and where are you?"

Everyone in the room held their breath as the Den Den Mushi dropped its head despondently, tears continuing to trickle down its cheeks as it shook in evident terror. " _Somebody please help me…I'm on…"_

Nami watched in shock as the snail took a deep breathe.

"… _PUNK HAZARD!"_

* * *

"Come in."

Monet felt a smirk curl her lips at the sight of her visitor, cunning amber eyes roaming appreciatively over his tall, imposing figure. "Oh, Law. Such a delicious sight for sore eyes among these parts…is there anything I can help you with?" the harpy purred, licking her lips suggestively as she slowly lowered the dossier on the Straw Hats she had been perusing before his interruption. In the six months since he had mysteriously appeared on Punk Hazard, Monet had yet to see the stoic pirate display even a flicker of emotion no matter the context or situation. Any amount of insults, compliments and goading all seemed to sail over his head so she had settled on a cross between sarcasm and flirtatiousness in the secret hope that one day she would be able to find that chink in his armour and prey on his inner desires; it had almost become a personal challenge to the harpy to crack the emotionless facade that Trafalgar Law always wore.

Ignoring her question, the Shichibukai merely replied baldly, "There are intruders approaching the island. A Marine warship."

"Oh?" The verdant-haired woman paused, a slight frown creasing her brow. "Do you want me to tell Caesar?"

"No." His expression darkened as he swept his cold, grey eyes over her. "I'll deal with them myself. I just came to tell you to stay out of my way."

Monet sneered slightly. "As cold as ever, Law. And coming from the Snow Woman herself, that's quite a compliment. Fine, I'll leave it up to you." Her lips curved upwards in a devious smirk again. "You are a Shichibukai now, after all."

Wordlessly, he turned to leave the room. Using his Kenbunshoku Haki, the Dark Doctor estimated that the Marines were about three miles away from the island, which gave him enough time to intercept them in the front entrance to the abandoned facility before they could get any further.

"Oh, and Law?"

He stopped.

"I think I don't have to remind you what's at stake if the Marines or the World Government find out about Punk Hazard." Monet flapped her wings slowly as she lowered herself back to her chair.

A dark smile crossed his lips. "No, you don't."

* * *

 **A/N** : Apologies that there was absolutely no LawNa interaction this chapter – we needed to build up to the meeting between the Straw Hats and Law! But stay tuned – we're going to jump straight into the Punk Hazard arc next chapter and if you guys are familiar with the manga/anime, you might remember the very moment when our favourite navigator and Shichibukai first laid eyes on each other…From here out, I'll be starting to take minor liberties with the storyline for brevity's sake but most of the main events will still be as per canon.

Den Den Mushi – Transponder Snail

Kenbushoku Haki – Observation Haki

Senchou - Captain

Shichibukai – Warlord

Sumimasen – Sorry / Excuse me


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N:** And...uploading this early simply because I was too excited with this instalment! Arigato to Eilethiya-ya, Raden863, sarge1130, Mrs. ToraLaw, xFallenDemonx, PrincessHaleyEve, Death-By-Sanity and Kagehime3 for the lovely reviews and helping me to avoid the dreaded 'Second Chapter Syndrome'! Shout outs as well to those who favourited and alerted, you know who you are :) I loved Law in this chapter simply because I thought his scenes in the anime were brilliant, so I hope you enjoy this chapter too! (And yes, THAT LawNa moment!) As always, reviews and constructive criticism or any type of feedback is much much appreciated.

 **Hostility Wars**

 **Chapter 3**

Adrenaline coursed through her veins, fuelling her legs with a desperate energy as she raced for the exit, the angry shouts of their pursuers echoing louder and louder behind them. Her hunch had been right; the mysterious fire-ice island was guarding some sinister secret and it was not going to give it up without a fight. Everything about Punk Hazard – from the severed samurai head they had picked up, their sleeping gas kidnapping to the strange giant kids they had just encountered reeked of something far more ominous at hand than a mere abandoned facility. As far as she was concerned, they had no business on this island and it was probably in their best interests to get off as soon as possible. "We need to get out of here, and find Luffy and the others immediately!"

The footfalls behind them ceased, and Nami sensed that the children had stopped following them. Turning back, Chopper wailed tearfully on top of Franky's head, "Hey! Why can't we take them with us?"

The blue-haired Cyborg shook his head, uncharacteristically rational. "That's crazy – we don't even know how to save ourselves! There's no way we can take that many kids." Seconds later, he burst into a flood of tearful bawling. "But I have a feeling something tragic is going to happen!"

Nami caught the sound of some soft sniffling in the background, but she resolutely pushed it to the back of her mind. Their pursuers had said that these children were sick and had been taken to this facility for treatment - who were they to interfere with what may be best for them? As the exit loomed ahead, she urged Sanji and Franky forward. "Almost the…"

"Please come back later and save us!"

The sudden cry broke into her thoughts like a lightning bolt, stopping her dead in her tracks.

"I want to see my father and mother again!" She recognised the voice as belonging to one of the dark-haired giant girls who started to sob hysterically, before the rest of the children soon followed suit. "So onee-san, please help us!" The baby soon began wailing, adding to the chorus of heart-rending sobs behind her.

"Nami-san?! Come on!" Vaguely, she heard Sanji's frantic voice call out to her in the background.

Nami clenched her fist. "No. Let's help these children."

Sanji gasped. "We can't do that – we just met them and we don't know what's going on here! It's not our job to help every single person!"

Nami slowly turned around, as images of the childrens' happy faces as they cuddled Chopper, gushed over Franky and messed with Sanji's tie rushed through her mind, fading away to the present sounds of their pitiful crying and the obvious fear in their voices. She didn't know why, but something about these children tugged deep at her heartstrings and she knew that she could never forgive herself if she just ran away and turned her back on them.

"I understand what you're saying…but," the orange-haired Navigator swallowed hard. "…you can't turn your back on a child crying for help!"

At that instant, one of the yellow-masked attackers aimed their guns at one of the children. "No!" Nami darted forward instinctively, her eyes wide with fear as she belatedly realised that she was facing a barrage of gas guns head on without having time to whip out her Clima Tact.

"Diable Jambe: Collier Strike!"

"Sanji-kun!" Relief washed over her as she watched her blonde crewmate unleash a series of fiery strikes on their opponents, knocking them out instantly in a matter of seconds. Landing neatly on his feet, Sanji languidly lit another cigarette and let out a long, slow drag. "Chopper – you go ahead with Nami-san." Turning to the kids, he snorted loudly. "Don't get me wrong; I'm only doing this to answer Nami-san's beautiful wish to help you brats."

It was times like this that Nami remembered how much she appreciated Sanji's compassionate side; out of all the male Straw Hats, he was the one who she knew hid the softest spot for the weak and the needy. Flashing him a grateful smile, she called out authoritatively, "Everyone, follow us!"

* * *

The sounds of their babbling were so loud, he could probably still have heard them even if he was on the other side of the island. He had always thought that the majority of the lower-level Marines were a bunch of doddering fools, no more than cannon fodder but the recalcitrants from the G-5 were considered to be the black sheep of the family, even amongst the Marines themselves.

Law felt a slight pang of irritation as the Marines pressed the buzzer repeatedly before kicking futilely at the door, the annoying _zzzzz_ sound echoing around him making him quicken his pace. The sooner he dealt with the trash, the better - he had more important things to do than play around with a bunch of idiots.

Pushing open the twenty-foot concrete entrance, he leaned casually against the doorframe; allowing a cocky smirk to grace his lips at the loud gasps and squeals of terror emitting from the group of Marines before him as realisation dawned on them. The instant intimidation and fear factor his new position instilled in both pirates and Marines was just one of the many benefits from being a Shichibukai - besides the obvious leeway granted by the World Government to pursue his own interests in return for lending his name and services to them.

Giving them a sweeping once over, he quickly noted that Vice-Admiral Smoker was among the rabble, along with that female Captain lackey he usually had following him around. That might prove slightly troublesome; Smoker had built up quite a reputation for himself over the past two years, being promoted to Commodore then Vice-Admiral and leader of one of the G-5 units in the New World, as well as hailed as a Marine hero for his part in "defeating" Crocodile in Alabasta. One could almost compare his rapid ascension to Law's own meteoric rise – although Law was no fool; he knew that Mugiwara-ya and his crew had been responsible for the Crocodile incident. Nonetheless, there was a risk that he might end up wasting more time than he initially thought would be necessary. "So," his smirk grew wider, "…what brings you here to my vacation home, Hakuryo-ya?"

Predictably, he saw Smoker swell at his obviously indolent manner. "Trafalgar Law," the Marine growled, narrowing his eyes at the Shichibukai. "What are you doing here? No one, not even pirates or Government allies is allowed to be here on this island, Law!"

Law grinned back. "That means you people aren't allowed here, either!" he replied smartly.

Strangely, Smoker didn't reply; instead he reached into his vast pockets and drew out a black baby Den Den Mushi.

" _My colleagues are getting cut one after another! The samurai are going to kill us!"_

His eyes shot open.

" _Somebody please help me…I'm on…PUNK HAZARD!"_

Anger and confusion swept through him, but he masked it smoothly. "What do you want? I know you Marines are good at forging those emergency signals."

The Vice-Admiral folded his arms and fixed Law with a heated glare. "I'm afraid it wasn't a trap that we set this time."

Law shrugged. "Oh yeah? Well I don't know anything so there's nothing more to talk about." He returned Smoker's glare and similarly crossed his arms. His heart was hammering furiously against his chest as his mind was bombarded with questions. Who had sent that mysterious SOS from the island? Where were the Straw Hat Pirates and what had they discovered, if at all? And where was that bastard Caesar? It was no surprise that the distress call had been intercepted by the Marines but it was purely bad luck that it had been the Straw Hat Pirates that answered it.

"Cut the crap and let us inside the laboratory!" Smoker growled furiously, interrupting Law's own chaotic thoughts.

He balled his fists inside his jacket. "It's my vacation home now. I refuse!" Realising somewhat that his excuse sounded lame, he quickly added, "What's wrong with me – a pirate staying on an island that you people abandoned? I'm the only one here!" He thanked his lucky stars that he had told Monet to stay out of sight and Caesar was surely in his laboratory deep within the facility. With luck, he might be able to talk his way out of this. "If Mugiwara-ya comes, I'll chop his head off for you," he shrugged flippantly. It was partly true; if the Straw Hats had discovered enough incriminating evidence about Caesar and Law's movements on Punk Hazard, he would be forced to silence them eventhough he doubted they would go blabbing to the Marines or the World Government. But it was too risky – he could afford to take no chances when it came to his master plan for finally taking _him_ down.

"If that's all you have to say, then go home!" His voice rose higher than he intended it to in his ire, and for a split-second it seemed that Smoker and his team were going to take his word for it and leave.

Then he heard it.

The unmistakeable sound of voices, _children's_ voices and running. Thundering towards the front door.

He cursed.

"There is somebody else in there!" One of the Marines cried out, jabbing his finger furiously in the direction of the building. Smoker remained quiet, calmly smoking his cigar as he waited patiently for the intruders.

Something big and furry swept past him, bursting out of the slightly ajar door with an almighty bang. "I made it out!"

"It's freezing!"

The sound of the female's voice froze every nerve in his body.

Droplets of sweat trickled down his temple as he gripped his knuckles in silent frustration. There was no doubt about it – it was her.

And if she was here, that meant that the Strawhat Pirates were definitely here and from the sounds of it, they were bringing the entire island with them as well.

"NAMI-SWAAAAN!"

The Shichibukai resisted the urge to roll his eyes at the love-struck blonde fawning over her, his eyes transformed to hearts as he openly drooled over the young woman's skimpy, bikini-clad form. "I like the way you shiver in the cold but I don't want you to get sick, so please take my jacket!"

"Ah, arigato Sanji-kun," she nodded, turning around to pull the long sleeves of the blazer around her shivering body before her eyes met suddenly met his. A flash of recognition sparked within her and the flame-haired pirate did a comical double-take. "You look familiar!" she yelped.

The furry monster of theirs turned around and let out a similar squeak of surprise. "Yeah, he was there at Sabaody!"

Nami turned to glare at him, her big hazel eyes flashing fire as she pointed an accusing finger in his direction. "Are you the one who locked up these children?! You brute! You can't take them back!"

Law sighed internally. This was certainly not how he had envisioned his next run-in with the beautiful Straw Hat Navigator to be like.

It was only then that her blonde companion finally realised that they weren't alone. "Since the Marines are here, we can't escape from here! Let's look for another exit, get inside!" he yelled, directing the horde of screaming children and the rest of the Straw Hats back inside the building.

"You lied, you said you were the only one here!"

Law switched his attention back to the obviously irate Marine Vice-Admiral. "Seems like I wasn't; I'm also surprised." He fought to control the surge of annoyance he felt towards Mugiwara-ya and his crew – of all the islands they could have barged their way into, they had to stick their noses into the one most crucial to his plans!

"Everyone, after the Strawhat Pirates!" Smoker's brunette subordinate suddenly drew her sword and beckoned to the rest of the platoon.

Law tch-ed. If she really thought he was just going to let them interfere any further in this whole Punk Hazard business, she was severely deluded. He raised his arm at the same time that Smoker shouted, "Wait!"

"Room."

A familiar pale blue sphere engulfed the surrounding area, and Law felt a somewhat sadistic pleasure at turning the Marines' guns upon themselves. Shouts of shock and surprise sounded as several explosions went off, choking the air with a thick cloud of grey smoke.

"Those fools brought trouble with them," he said in a low voice as the smoke slowly cleared, before flicking his index finger upwards. "Tact!" He was pissed off now, and he would be damned if anything else were to go wrong with his meticulously well-laid plans.

The Marine soldiers let out frightened gasps and whimpers as he skilfully manipulated the giant warship floating through the air, along with half of the frozen river it had been moored in. "I can't let you leave now," he murmured, a dangerous glint entering his eyes. "I'm sorry that I said no one else was here."

"Step back!" Smoker drew his jitte, before taking a step towards Law. "You guys are no match for him – he'll chop off your hands and feet!"

 _Too right I will – along with their eyeballs, fingers and toes_ he thought smugly as he unsheathed his own sword. He felt Kikoku hum in approval, the cursed blade's bloodlust instantly awakened as it sensed Law's menacing intent.

The Surgeon of Death raised his sword in a semi-circle above his head, a small grin tugging his lips as he brought it crashing down on Smoker's jitte in a flurry of sparks.

 _It had been rather boring on this island lately anyway….so he might as well get a good workout while Smoker was here._

* * *

Hakuryo - White Hunter

Mugiwara - Straw Hat

Onee-san - Big sister


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N:** Sorry for the year-long wait between chapters – had a huge bout of writer's block but a huge thank you to all those that reviewed and favourited: Smarthiz, DangoCorn, Surika Baquesta, Son of Whitebeard, sarge1130, Raden863 and Death-by-Sanity; your support means the world to me.

 **Chapter 4**

 **Hostility Wars**

When she had signed up to join the Straw Hat Pirates, Nami knew that she was most likely signing up for a lifetime of crazy adventures and bizarre situations.

So far she had been swallowed by a ten-tonne whale, almost forced to marry a nutty lion on an island full of zombies, broken into the most heavily guarded Marine stronghold in the Grand Line and defied the World Government to save a crewmate.

Nami had seen and survived them all without blinking an eye.

But this?

"Look, I know I'm cute and curvy and all that (so I could understand why you would want to kidnap me) but really, this is ridiculous!" she screamed, wriggling frantically while trying not to look down at the perilous hundred feet drop underneath her. Flecks of snow rained on her as the cliff trembled under the force of her tugging but the metallic chains binding her remained fast. "LET ME GO!"

She could hear the vague sounds of the Yeti Cool Brothers conversing, their voices largely drowned by the insistent howls of the icy wind swirling around them. While Franky's body was made of steel and iron and god-knows-what-else, Nami swore she could still feel the biting cold of the frigid weather they were currently in. "Damn that Trafalgar Law!" she ground her teeth furiously. "I always knew he was a sadistic jerk…" The redheaded Navigator raised her voice again. "Luffy won't let you get away with this! You're going to get beaten to a pulp…" A high-pitched shriek escaped her lips as she suddenly came face to face with the barrel of an enormous cannon.

"People who talk too much aren't cool." One of those furry jerks snorted contemptuously as he waved the weapon dangerously close to her face. "You have friends coming don't you?" Without waiting for an answer, he gave her a smug look. "Of course you do. After all, we arranged for them to follow our footsteps."

Right on cue, the Navigator heard the unmistakeable sounds of her bone-headed Captain yelling loud enough for the entire Grand Line to get earaches, followed by a strange roaring sound and crashing?! Seconds later, Luffy came hurtling over the cliff towards her, followed by a strangely monstrous shape. "Luffy!" she screamed in relief, wriggling frantically as she tried to get his attention but the huge furry monster's howls easily drowned her voice. Wait, why was Chopper chasing after Luffy in his Heavy Point form?!

"NAMI!"

Even as he was plummeting down the cliff at a few hundred miles an hour, Luffy still sounded happy to see her. "Watch out, there are enemies here!" Nami yelled, just as she saw the Yeti Brothers gather their weapons as they finally noticed her two crewmates.

"This is almost too easy."

"Yeah, those spikes will pierce him."

Right now, Nami felt more frustrated than worried about the black-haired boy – as intimidating as the Yeti Cool Brothers were, she knew they were nothing but a hindrance to the Straw Hat Captain. "AAARGH LUFFY HURRY UP!" The red head pouted as she shivered in Franky's metallic body. Trust Luffy to get into a protracted fight with a bunch of gun-toting snow idiots. She had half a mind to charge him for wasting her time when a round of Gatling Gun punches would sort them out…

A large hand suddenly grabbed her, and the next thing Nami knew she was being hoisted into the air as Scotch hurried away from the fight towards another patch of mountains. "Put me down!" she screamed as she spotted Luffy running after them in hot pursuit. All this swinging around like a rag doll by a thirty feet tall giant wasn't making her day any better.

However, Scotch's monstrous strides soon had him far aheasd of Luffy, no matter how fast the Gomu-Gomu no Mi user tried to keep up. As he climbed further and faster ahead up the snowy peak, Nami felt her anger start to give way to panic.

"He doesn't give up does he," she heard Scotch grunt above her. "But he can't match my reach." With another tremendous leap, she found herself at the summit of the mountain.

But someone was already waiting for them.

As the dark hooded figure raised his head, a gasp of recognition escaped her.

Scotch let out a burst of laughter. "Hoho if it isn't the free-loader, Trafalgar Law! I'm glad to see you here!"

Fear coursed through her, obliterating the strange sense of relief she had felt when she glimpsed Law's trademark furry hat and the unusual yellow Jolly Rogers adorning his pitch-black winter coat. Despite her relief at seeing a familiar face, this man was no friend of hers, nor was he a rescuer. A ruthless, sadistic killer and Nami's fate was surely sealed if he was in cahoots with Scotch…

"Room."

To her shock, a pale blue light enveloped the surrounding area as Law drew his sword and executed two perfect opposing slashes. Scotch's moans of pain filled the air, and Nami watched in horror as the Cool Brother's giant body split into two. The giant fist that had been grabbing her chains loosened but before she had time to scream, she found herself hurtling face-first into the ice. The almighty crash behind her let her know that her captor's dissected body parts had suffered the same fate.

"Bastard – what are you doing?!" She faintly heard the enraged Scotch yelling.

"Counter Shock."

A crackle of static sounded and Scotch let out another blood-curdling roar before falling motionless back down. Only then did Nami slowly dare to lift her head from the ground. "Arigato!" She beamed, pure relief flooding her senses as she glimped the defeated Scotch before the tell-tale groan as she tried to lift her meccha-body reminded her of why she was stuck in this predicament in the first place. "No I meant, hey you! Give me back my body!"

Law glanced at her coolly and the auburn-haired Navigator was suddenly struck at the difference in him since their last meeting. His slate-grey eyes, so lively and full of playful mirth as he had shamelessly flirted with her were now cold, lifeless and intimidating. She shrank involuntarily, but luckily a familiar shout sounded behind her. "Luffy!"

Her black-haired Captain hopped beside her, a quick glance confirming that she was alright before his eyes fell on her surprising saviour. "Ooo Torao! Did you save her?"

Nami swivelled her glance back to where the other pirate stood silently in the swirling snow, his enormous sword slung behind his back as he took several paces away from them. Briefly, she wondered where the friendly white bear that carried his sword had gone, as well as the rest of his crew she had glimpsed on Sabaody. But most of all, why was he here and what did he have to do with the secrets they had inadvertently stumbled on the mysterious island of Punk Hazard?

"I've been thinking."

While her attention had been momentarily diverted by Luffy biting off her chains (Baka, you could have broken all your teeth!), she realised that Law had made his way up the edge of the cliff they were standing on, his back turned to the two Strawhat Pirates.

"I think you arrived on this island by accident. But there is an important key somewhere on this island…that can wreak havoc on the New World."

A shiver she was sure had nothing to do with the icy conditions ran down her spine. He spoke softly, but there was a certain chilling edge to his words she was sure had never been there before. What had happened to him in these two years?

"There are only two ways to survive in the New World," Law continued. "Either by living under one of the Yonkou, or by going against them. And I guess you're not the kind of person that wants to work under someone."

Nami felt a small smile tug her lips. She had to hand it to him, he understood Luffy alright…but a touch of apprehension began to build in her mind. Where was this leading to?

"Then, we have to form an alliance."

Her jaw went slack.

Next to her, Luffy's shock was palpable. "An alliance?" He repeated slowly.

The Heart Pirate Captain finally faced them. "If you and I join forces, maybe we can do it." His eyes momentarily flicked to hers, before he dropped his next bombshell.

"I have a plan to bring down one of the Yonkou."

* * *

It was freezing - cold enough to turn brimstone into ice and freeze hell a thousand times over.

Law pulled the brim of his hat down over his ears, grateful that the meagre warmth it brought gave some respite to the two appendages he could no longer feel. It was why he preferred to keep away from the western half of the island; while Law was no stranger to wind and snow as a son of North Blue, even the Pirate Captain did not particularly like making his way around in the glacial weather and geography of the Ice Lands, a remnant of that legendary duel between Aokiji and Akainu not too long ago.

Yet the icy winds swirling around him could not compare to the frosty daggers Mugiwara-ya's Navigator was giving him with every step of the way.

As he had anticipated, Nami had protested furiously at his suggestion of an alliance, casting not-so-subtle aspersions on his trustworthiness and baulking instantly at his brazen claims of overthrowing Kaido. He did not blame her – he was after all, a rival Pirate Captain and Supernova; and every pirate on the great Oceans knew that most pirate alliances ended in tears or more realistically, swords and blood. A lesser disappointment crept over him at her adamant objections to his alliance but he quickly shoved it aside. No matter, even if Nami or the rest of the crew objected they were unlikely to overrule the decision as Luffy had already agreed.

"If you ally with this creep who gives me the chills, I won't be able to sleep in peace at night!"

A stab of irritation pricked him as he watched the curly-haired pirate shake Mugiwara-ya frantically, proverbial tears streaming down his abnormally long nose as he glanced fearfully between Law and his Captain. Law did his best to school his expression to his usual mask of neutral indifference.

"See, Luffy? Everyone's against it – it's too risky!"

This time, Law felt his mouth twitch in aggravation as the Navigator joined in the long-nosed coward's pleading. Couldn't she see that their best chance of defeating a Yonko lay with him? While he had to give them credit for their headline-making, World-Government defying exploits up to now, the Yonkou were a whole different kettle of fish and well…they were going to need him as much as he needed them.

"Luffy."

Law turned his attention to the slim, brunette woman who had been observing the proceedings silently up to then. This had to be her – the famed Archaelogist from the lost civilisation of Ohara, Nico Robin. "I'm going to go along with your decisions but I hope you know that most pirate alliances are marked by treachery and betrayal."

Right on cue, his future Alliance partner turned to him. "Oi, are you going to betray me?"

Law tried not to roll his eyes at the other pirate's simplicity. "No," he deadpanned, as he unconsciously found his gaze wandering to the orange-haired Navigator who was still glaring at him as if he had Chopper's horns on his head. _Was she really that against him, or…ohhhh._

He clicked his fingers. "Room – Shambles."

While the half-robot began celebrating loudly, he mentally slapped himself as he tried to pretend he wasn't excited at seeing the female pirate returning to her slender, curvaceous…

"Why am I always stuck in someone else's body? First it was Franky, now Sanji-kun!"

Law inwardly admitted to sharing a little of her bitter disappointment. He had forgotten that there were three members of the crew missing, including one of them with Nami-ya's real body.

"Can't you do something about it?"

He blinked in surprise as the blonde cook suddenly appeared in front of him, batting her eyelashes as she looked at him pleadingly. Eventhough it was Kuro Ashi-ya's face he was staring at, Law still felt his cheeks redden a little. Turning away quickly, he waved his hand dismissively. "I can't do anything if your real body isn't here."

To distract himself, he strode over to where the band of giant children slept, chained securely to one of the pillars as they snored peacefully. Pity and contempt welled up inside him. "Turning people into giants is a project that the World Government has undertaken for hundreds of years…for military might probably. Caesar wants to achieve this goal first, and outsmart Vegapunk and the World Government; but I don't think it will be that easy," he murmured, half to himself. Giant kids, mutant humans with animal parts - Law could picture their half-dead eyes staring lifelessly at him and their torturous screams echoing in the night. Vegapunk was renowned for pushing the boundaries of science with his outlandish experiments, but Caesar had been reviled for doing things to his test subjects that even Vegapunk had been reluctant to do. While what had happened to these kids was a cruelty and abomination beyond mankind, perhaps it would be better to leave them here where they were safe and hidden away from the wider world. Their size and obvious mental scars would mark them out as outsiders, freaks…there was no way they would ever be accepted by society. Nor would the World Government ever want their existence to be acknowledged by anyone outside of Punk Hazard. He exhaled heavily. "Do you really want to help them? You don't even know who they are."

To his surprise, Nami-ya (in Kuro Ashi-ya's body) strode forward. "Yes I do." Clenching her fist, she tilted her head to look Law straight in the face, a hint of defiance blazing in her beautiful hazel eyes; as she dared him to refuse her. Like a tigress defending her young, her conviction in rescuing the children both startled and moved him. It was not something he had expected to see in the fiery, obstinate Straw Hat Navigator. "Although I don't know them very well, they asked me to help with tears in their eyes. It seems that the Master tricked them into coming here, but they already know there is something wrong with this place." Crouching down next to one of the kids, she gently placed a hand on the sleeping girl. Law was struck by the compassionate gentleness that replaced the fierceness from moments ago. She straightened. "Until they're safe, I won't leave this island!"

He sighed internally. Her intentions were good, noble almost but in the circumstances, it would be so much easier to just…"Are you willing to stay here alone?" he shot back.

'I'm not going to leave my friend behind." The Straw Hat Captain's voice was firm, with no hint of the goofiness that he was usually associated with. "If that's what Nami and Chopper want to do, I want it too. If you want to team up with us, you have to help us too!"

For the umpteenth time that day, Law started heavily. He could feel the beginning of a migraine throbbing against his temples…Kami knows what he had gotten himself into. He had thought it would be easy to manipulate, well not manipulate but _sway_ the seemingly simply and happy-go-lucky Luffy to his objectives…He waved his hand again. "Okay I get it. There's not much time, but you guys have to take care of the samurai, while I look into the drugs that the kids were given. Which one of you is the ship's doctor? He's got to come back with me to research the drug behind Caesar's back."

The tiny reindeer started flailing his hoofs. "I am! But I can't walk right now, so how am I going to follow you back?"

Everyone fell silent for a good while before Nami-ya perked up. Picking the injured Chopper up, she advanced to him with a suspiciously mischievous smile on her face. "I have an idea," she giggled, grabbing hold of his furry hat. Law suddenly felt himself break out into a sudden cold sweat. "I'm not sure Law's going to like it though…" As she motioned Usopp to come forward with the rope, he silently found himself wondering if this was the Navigator's revenge for swapping her body with Franky's earlier in the day.

 _Oh well,_ he consoled himself miserably as the muffled chuckles of the Strawhat Pirates grew louder and louder around him before Luffy let out an explosive snort of laughter. _At least his crew weren't around to take photographs of his humiliation._

* * *

 **A/N:** I think I've forgotten how much fun it is to write Law…As always, reviews and concrit are most welcome. Hope everyone is enjoying the current arc on Whole Cake Island!


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